Summary 
On May 6, 1977, the Federal Interagency Committee on Recombinant 
DNA Research met to consider possible means for fostering international 
control of the use and production of recombinant DNA molecules. A 
Subcommittee on International Issues was created. It met in June and 
July 1977 to review international activities in this field with a view 
to making recommendations on means for achieving common safety standards. 
By way of assistance, NIH staff surveyed all recombinant DNA activities 
occurring internationally, and the State Department had the survey 
reviewed by U.S. science attaches abroad. 
The Subcommittee's analysis is presented. It reveals that scien- 
tists throughout the world have played a leading role in bringing the 
potential hazards of recombinant DNA research to the attention of 
scientists, governments, and international organizations. As a result, 
efforts have been made to adopt safety procedures for the conduct of the 
research in many countries. The NIH and U.K. guidelines, imposing 
similar safeguards, are being used as important models. The United 
States has about 300 active projects involving the new technique, and 
about half that number are under way in Europe. All are being done under 
some form of safety standards. 
National and international safety organizations in many countries 
have studied the recombinant DNA issue, usually recommending some form 
of control. The European Molecular Biology Organization, the Interna- 
tional Council of Scientific Unions, and the World Health Organization 
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